Seattle doctor among CDC vaccine committee members removed by RFK Jr.
Jun 16, 2025, 3:05 PM | Updated: 4:18 pm
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services on April 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images)
(Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images)
A Seattle doctor was among 17 members removed from a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) committee, The Seattle Times reported Monday.
Helen Chu, an infectious disease doctor, was let go without warning from the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) via an email on June 9, according to the media outlet.
CDC vaccine committee being remodeled
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated it is “reconstituting” the committee, according to a news release on the HHS’s website. The committee makes recommendations on the safety and need for clinical vaccines.
“Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated via the release. “The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies.”
Each member will be replaced by a new member.
“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy stated. “ACIP’s new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine.”
Among the new members of the panel are a scientist who spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and an epidemiologist who opposed lockdowns, according to The Seattle Times.
The ACIP’s next meeting will be June 25 through June 27.
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